Next telecom spectrum auction in 2-3 months: Prasad

The next round of telecom spectrum auction, which is expected to mop up a whopping Rs.560,000 crore ($83 billion) will take place in another two-three months, Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said here on Friday.IANS | May 20, 2016, 21:09 IST

New Delhi, The next round of telecom spectrum auction, which is expected to mop up a whopping Rs.560,000 crore ($83 billion) will take place in another two-three months, Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said here on Friday.

"We have cleared spectrum trading and sharing. Therefore, issues regarding spectrum have been addressed. In the coming two-three months, 2,000 MHz of spectrum will be auctioned," Prasad said in his address at the 9th Telecom India Summit organised by Assocham.

The minister reiterated that telecom service providers (TSP) need to improve the quality of its services and the customers should be happy.

"The telecom operators should provide good service and quality service to the people. I only want people to be satisfied," he said.

On Bharti Airtel, a day after the apex court waived call drop penalties from the service providers on May 11, announcing a 25 percent more stringent voluntary call drop benchmark, Prasad said: "Customers should be happy... I don't understand self regulation!"

"It is in your interest to give quality services to the customers. Quest for quality services will always rise," he told the telecom firms.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) pulled up Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea for warning subscribers of certain plans that their SIM cards would be deactivated if they do not recharge their pre-paid accounts though these subscribers had the minimum required balance.